All Republican Senators To Boycott Environment & Public Works Climate Bill Markup

[hatrack]

Yeah, I know - Politico. Sorry.

The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee is engaged in public partisan warfare over a climate bill, a battle that foreshadows the deep struggle the Obama administration will face as Democrats attempt to push a version of the sweeping legislation through the Senate. Chairwoman Barbara Boxer of California announced last week that she will proceed with a markup of the bill beginning Tuesday, even though all seven Republicans on the committee say they plan to boycott the proceedings.

Republicans say that EPW rules prohibit Boxer from holding a markup without two Republicans present, but Boxer aides indicated on Sunday that they still planned to attempt the hearing. “Sen. Boxer has said that she will use all the tools at her disposal to move forward,” said a Boxer aide.

The boycott, led by the committee’s two most moderate Republicans, Sens. George Voinovich of Ohio and Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, illustrates the difficulty for Democrats in getting significant bipartisan backing for their climate bill — even among GOP lawmakers who support taking action to combat climate change.

“I’m willing to work with the people on the other side of the aisle. But if you jam this thing through here, it’s not going to be good,” Voinovich said on Thursday.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1109/29004.html

[phantom power]

1. poor, poor republican victims...

:eyes:

[Tippy]

2. K&R.......The Party of NO ...saying no once again.....

[OKIsItJustMe]

3. NY Times: Senate Panel's Climate Markup in Holding Pattern

http://www.nytimes.com/gwire/2009/11/03/03greenwire-senate-panels-climate-markup-in-holding-patter-82243.html

Senate Panel's Climate Markup in Holding Pattern

By DARREN SAMUELSOHN AND BEN GEMAN of Greenwire
Published: November 3, 2009

A partisan standoff over Senate global warming legislation clouded the start of the Environment and Public Works Committee's markup of the sweeping proposal today with just one Republican in attendance.

Chairwoman Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and several other Democrats began the markup with opening statements begging Republicans to participate and questioning the sincerity of their boycott.

"We've taken every step to welcome them to the table," Boxer said. "And we're just going to be here every day until they join us."

There was no sign of when the committee will begin voting on amendments or move to pass the bill, http://www.eenews.net/public/25/13072/features/documents/2009/11/02/document_daily_01.pdf">S. 1733 (pdf), which will be melded by Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) with the work of five other committees. To date, Democrats have offered 80 amendments to the legislation that Boxer wrote with Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.).

…